Determining how many replacement heifers you need is not easily answered. The best answer, and not a very definitive one is: “It depends,” says Mike Overton, a dairy analytics advisor with Elanco Animal Health.
He spoke recently at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Business Conference in virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many dairy farmers now are breeding for heifers much more selectively, using sexed semen on heifers and their best older cows, and then either using conventional semen or beef semen simply to get other cows pregnant to remain in the herd. That’s a good strategy, he says, with one big caution:
By JIM DICKRELL
April 2, 2020
dairyherd.com
